Flickering Light
by HowNovel
Summary: The electricity consumed her. It ate away everything good in her life and spit out the charred remains –– it put everyone she loved at risk and, at the same time, made it impossible to trust. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. Damn the consequences. "When all seems lost, the future unknowable, our very existence in peril... All we can do is run."


**Chapter One: Realization**

_**A/N: This is a story of power, greed, and betrayal.**_

_"A couple of years and I'm a silhouette  
><em>_My halo is broken now and I'm all that's left  
><em>_These voices are calling me out  
><em>_A couple of tears and I'm a broken mess  
><em>_The sadness has taken me far too deep in regret  
><em>_The coldest heart can be brought to life  
><em>_When it's thrown into the fire of goodbyes"_

_- The Classic Crime, Coldest Heart_

* * *

><p><em>What was that?<em>

My eyes stayed locked on my hand in front of me, that moment before seemed to have…

_I'm delusional._ I thought frantically in my head. _It was just a refection off the window. Yes, a reflection. Just a reflection. Perfectly plausible and entirely likely. _At least the scare had momentarily distracted me from that call seconds ago…

I dropped the phone I was holding - feeling as if it were seeping into my pores and poisoning my blood stream, then bolted to the window, tightly closing the curtains. A long shiver ran through my body as the wind blew through the screen and rustled the curtains. Everything seemed to have an eerie, no, **sinister** edge to it. The wilted flowers no longer held the air of charm my mother thought old flowers brought, but conveyed regret. And I did regret what I had done, something as simple and childish as updating a social website.

Fear flooded my body and I grabbed the blanket that lay on the couch, wrapping it around my shoulders. The dark wool matched my hair, enabling me to hide seamlessly when cocooned inside. But instead of comforted, I felt like it was working against me; scratching my skin, refusing to cover my left foot and, worst of help, trapping me like prey for the predator. I shuddered again and curled up on the love-seat, using the arm as a pillow while I waited for my mother and younger brother to come home. My phone that I had left lying on the floor gave a sudden chirp, which caused my heart to leap out of its cage.

"No, no, no." I panicked - staring down my phone as if I could make it disappear. A few moments passed and the unread text chirped again insistently. Shakily, I moved from my position on the couch and crawled over to my phone, with the traitorous blanket still around my shoulders. My heart beat faster as I reached to pick up my phone. The screen glowed and the name '_Mom_' appeared next to an image of a small envelop.

"Oh, thank god." I breathed, letting my heart slow down to a normal pace as I opened the text. '_driving to pick up chris from the batting cage again- has he talked you to recently about his friends?_' My eyebrows furrowed and I contemplated the latter, just as my phone beeped in my hands. '_Unknown Number_' blinked my phone. My hands began to sweat as I opened the message. '_Goodnight Samantha Serafim_.'

Anger and horror boiled in my blood again as my eyes flashed to the covered window and back to the text. He was never going to leave me alone. Despite the thick blanket and the drawn curtains, a long shiver ran down my form as fear encased me. I tugged the warm wool up and over my head, huddling in the darkness.

Posting your phone number in your status update was supposed to be, for lack of a better term, cool. I hadn't realized that anyone could see it. Another beep reverberated in the room and I let out a muffled scream under the blanket. However, it was just my mother again, asking for me to check the fridge to see what we needed from the grocery store.

I rose from my secluded spot, dragging the blanket with me over my shoulders as I maneuvered my way into the kitchen. The hardwood floor was ice cold against my feet, but I opened the chilled refrigerator door nonetheless. _Eggs, milk, creamer and waffle_s. I wrote back, adding the last due to a sudden craving.

The room was dark, save for the light emitted from the fridge. The quiet, when mixed with the dark, caused the slightest sound to resonate many times louder. The light dripping from the sink caused a tremble throughout my body and I darted to the faucet to shut it off. Silence was golden, at least when you're on edge.

I disposed of the blanket in a neat pile on the couch and ran up the stairs to my room. The soft glow from my computer lit up the room rather nicely and I made no move to close it. Slowly I let myself lean against the wall and slide down to the ground. I curled up my knees to my body and allowed my head to rest on them. The fear seemed to stir inside me, adrenaline pumping through my veins and causing a restlessness to overcome me. I needed to let off some steam, but at the same time I felt paralyzed and heavy.

_How long does it take to stop by the damn supermarket? _I jiggled my foot anxiously, causing my entire body to bump up and down, until a rather jerky bump caused me to knee myself in the chin and bite down on my bottom lip. The tangy taste of metal in my mouth persuaded me to stop, so I switched to tapping my fingers on my knee instead. I was never one for patiently posture didn't change until I heard the sounds of a car starting and an engine rumbling into the distance.

It was much to late for anyone on my street to be leaving the house, I lived near mainly senior citizens and worn out parents. The realization of who was most likely driving away filled me with horror, but I didn't have time to panic, as another car drove up and parked in front of my house. In the next second I was by my window, reassured by the sight of my mothers silver Chevrolet cobalt.

My brother, Christopher, and her were loaded with grocery bags and I ran down stairs to open the door for them. My mother was finishing up a business call, cell phone on her shoulder, and nodded her thanks to me.

"I understand, Mrs. Sieves, but your alibi is loose at best and I'll have to see concrete proof from this spa before it can hold up in court. I know. I- yes- I realize this too. Then- okay sounds good Mrs. Sieves, I'll be seeing you Thursday. Yes, of course, goodbye Ms. Sieves." My mother let the phone fall into one of her bags before letting loose an annoyed sigh.

"Ms. Sieves, again?" I smiled knowingly, causing my mother to laugh as she dropped the bags on the kitchen table.

"I swear, she's the cause of fifty percent of my wrinkles." My mother said matter-of-fact, beginning to place the various food items in their proper spots. Chris threw his bags onto the table as well, before collapsing into a chair.

"How was the batting cage?" I asked him, making pleasantries. He groaned about his arm being sore, then trudged up the stairs to his room.

"It's late, you should probably head off to bed yourself." I resisting rolling my eyes and nodded at my mother before following Chris up. This time I closed my computer as I wiggled out of my clothing and into pajamas, before washing my face in the sink.

I wish I could say that I lay awake and gave my situation the concentration it deserved, but I wasn't the type to dwell. I tried to convince myself that this aspect of my personality wasn't a negative.

Sleep was granted quickly, as I ignored the voices in the back of my head that screamed for attention. Everything would be fine, life would work itself out, like it always did. - "Mom, we're leaving!" I yelled back into the house, while ushering a sock-footed Chris out the door. A muffled "goodbye" was returned and I let the door swing close behind me. Chris hobbled on one foot, frantically pulling on his other shoe and trying to not fall over in the process.

"Come on, you're a guy. How long would it take to roll out of bed and actually get ready on time?" I complained from the drivers seat as Chris jumped around to put on his remaining shoe outside of the car.

"Too long. Waste of energy." Christopher wasn't the talkative type. He rarely strung more than five words together.

"Just get in." I gestured to the front seat and revered the engine with impatience. "Some of us have a test first thing in the morning." "Fine, fine." We listened to the radio for the rest of the ride. I dropped Chris off at his middle school, privately glad to had escaped that plaid prison. I turned off the music as I pulled into my high school's parking lot and attempted to find a space to park. The lot was littered with students, backpacks, books and trash. The mornings were usually fairly hectic, no one wanting to be late, but at the same time, no one really wanting to go to class. This created the undeniable atmosphere of hostility and stress. Certainly not my favorite place to be five times a week, but the law was binding.

As I followed my usual path to class, a shoulder bumped into mine, causing me to spin around in annoyance. However I quickly dropped my irk upon seeing the familiar face awaiting me.

"Hey Sammy." said Sarah nonchalantly, blowing on her freshly painted nails. "We're still on for the test right?"

"Course," I replied coolly, slightly hiding my own chipped nail from view.

"Nice, don't forget to turn your phone on silent. We can't have another Rachel incident, now can we?" With that, she gave a wink and sashayed off.

My friendships were… complicated, to say the least. They involved staying alert of the other girls and one step ahead of everyone else. Sara was the first the realize having friends was no longer dependent on who shared their lunch. It was about the illusion of perfection. An illusion Sarah was quick to master.

I didn't mind it, none of us did. Maybe it was because we were used to following her lead by now or that there wasn't any other option when it came to staying her friend.

"Sam!" Another shout sounded from behind me and I turned to see a tussled Rachel jogging towards me. "Hold up." I slowed down, allowing her enough time to catch up. She panted heavily, clutching her English text book tightly to her chest.

"Quick prep time, want to quiz me?" Rachel offered me her book but I shook my head quickly.

"As long as you studied your sections and follow Sarah's plan, we'll be fine!" I assured her.

Rachel scoffed, "Right, Sarah's plan. Last time it almost landed me with a cheating file."

"That's because you left your phone on vibrate."

"I didn't think it would be that loud," she muttered under her breath, but I caught her words and rolled my eyes.

"During Mr. Walter's test, a dropped pin could be heard." Rachel still looked unsure, so I grabbed the text book from her hands and flipped it open to the bookmarked section. "Don't worry, we won't get caught, never have-never will. However, if it will wipe that pitiful look off your face, we can study for our last twenty steps."

"I just-" Rachel dropped her voice, "don't want to end up like some of the kids at this school. One detention and their on the road to self-combust." She gestured to a boy leaning against the wall and my eyes followed her pointed thumb.

"Can't say I disagree…" I murmured back, as I watched the boy flick a zippo lighter between his fingers. He was the definition of screw-up, having already been arrested on numerous occasions. The rumors constantly fluctuated, sometimes it was thought to be theft, other times drugs. It was a wonder that he stayed in school at all. Abruptly, Zippo Boy turned his stares to me, sneering when he saw me looking back. I turned my head quickly, slightly embarrassed that I had been caught.

"Dang it, the bell's going to ring in a minute." Rachel huffed, snapping her book shut and tugging it out of my hands. "Looks like I'll be relying on Sarah's plan after all."

Rachel ran forward, not wanting to risk being late, but I held back a moment. Hairs on the back of my neck were standing, as a chill ripped through my body. The feelings of panic and fear from last night reemerged. Someone was watching me. Paranoid, I whipped around to look at Zippo Boy accusingly, but he was already sauntering in the opposite direction.

_No. He couldn't known what school I go to… _The thought trailed off uselessly. Of course he could, he was able to locate my house from a mere telephone number. There was no doubt in my mind that he could, and would, locate my school. I chewed on my lip, obliviously reopening the cut from last night, still peering suspiciously at my surroundings.

The bell rang shrilly and I noticed the sudden emptiness of the quad. Goosebumps erupted on my arms and, despite the warm weather, I suddenly longed for jeans and a comfy sweatshirt. Then it happened again. Just like before, a weird tingling traveled through my body, somewhere between a strong impulse to twitch and the burning sensation of touching a stove. My hands were twitching sporadically, as my goosebumps multiplied with fervor, but I shoved my hands in my tiny jacket pockets, in attempt to stifle them.

Frantically, I ran for my classroom, throwing open the door to thirty staring heads. This helped me regain control of my hands, and I attempted to gather my nerves as I slid into my seat beside Sarah.

"Thank you for joining us, Ms. Serafim." Mr. Walter said patronizingly as he doled out the large stack of tests.

"Alright everyone, you know the drill. Well, with one month into the school year, I hope everyone's caught on by now." He had finished passing out the test and returned to the front of the classroom. "You may now begin."

I glanced down at the first few questions and answer them with ease, before hitting a wall. Sarah's frustrated huffs assured me I wasn't alone. Quietly, I leaned sideways to reach my hand in my bag and in one move, I had grabbed my phone and deposited in my pencil case.

I nodded towards Sarah and she, in turn, nudged Rachel, who seemed to have no problem with the packet test. Mr. Walter was nice, but it was almost too easy to cheat in his class. I felt Sarah give my foot a light kick and discreetly opened my pencil case to check my phone.

A new message from Sarah flashed, _# 1, 3?_ I replied with the correct letters and sent the message. _Sending Failed. Try Again?_ My phone blinked quickly. I frowned, that only happened when there was either no service or another message was trying to be received. As I clicked the ok button, the latter was proven correct. I choked back a gasp, turning it into a small cough when it caught my neighbors attention.

_Cheaters never prosper, didn't you parent's ever teach you that Samantha? _I stared horrified for a few more second, before slowly raising a shaking hand.

"Yes, Samantha?" Mr. Walter said with a lazy look up from his computer screen.

"May I go to the bathroom?" I asked, my voice quivering beneath my attempted normal tone.

"Have you finished your test?" I shook my head slowly. "Then you know the answer. Back to work everyone." Our conversation had gained the attention of a few procrastinating students.

I looked back down at my test defeatedly. Sarah kicked my foot again, and with a quick glance up at the again busy teacher, I mouthed an apology to her, then quickly resent my previous text.

Sarah whispered a thanks back and continued on with her test. Meanwhile, I determinedly tried to keep my hands' shaking down to a minimum, but they weren't cooperating with me. My pencil kept slipping out of my sweaty fingers.

_Just finish the test_, I chanted in my head, allowing the words' steady repetition to calm my racing heartbeat. It took only three minutes to gather myself, my progress sped up by the curious looks from my classmates. I continued with my test, not bothering to answer Sarah's persistent texts and nudges, my concentration controlled by my fear.

At last I finished, guessing on the remaining five questions in order to speed up, dropped my test off at the front of the classroom, only a handful of other students had finished before me, and grabbed the bathroom pass on my way out the door. As I clutched the bathroom pass in my hand, I realized I didn't have any kind of plan. It wasn't as if I could call him back, no number showed up with his texts. Nevertheless, I pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket, where I had discreetly hidden it, and opened his message again. Almost instantly upon opening my phone, a new message appeared. I opened it with shaking hands.

_Finished so soon?_ I squeezed the cell phone in my hand and continued walking. At the last minute I turned a corner, away from the restrooms and towards the back parking lot. There were no first period classes nearby, so I could be assured privacy. I switched my phone from silent to vibrate and readied myself.

"What do you want?" I broke the silence, my words seeming to echo around the empty parking lot. A long silence followed and I nearly called it quits, before my phone buzzed abruptly, freezing me to my spot once more.

_To make a point. Too often stupid, naive little girls prance about the internet, blogging and posting insignificant comments that drive people like __**me**__ insane. It's about time someone puts you in your place. You should be proud I picked you to prove my point; once you're dead body is found, along with my warning to the press, everyone will hear this story. Besides, don't all vapid teenagers want to be tomorrows headline? _

My breathing accelerated and the tingling began in my hands again; I was terrified and, despite the heat that seemed to be flooding me, my body only responded by shaking harder. So I did the only thing I could, I bolted. I allowed my sprinting legs to push me forward, without concern of direction.

Suddenly, I found myself in front of the restrooms and my hands desperately grasped at a door handle. Every fiber in my being was split between fight or flight, as adrenaline pumped through me. Thankfully, my trembling hands were able to grip the handle and I fell through the doorway, into the dingy boy's bathroom.

I had a hard time collecting myself enough to stand up, but once I did a scanned my surroundings. No one seemed to be in the room, but before I could release a breath of relief, my phone buzzed angrily.

"No, no" I choked, my relief breath caught in my throat. _Hide and seek will only prolong the inevitable. However, we have to adjourn our game for now. Until next time, a little parting advice - Don't let yourself be found alone, that just forces me to play. _

Finally all the heat and tingling that had been building up inside released and my hands began… to my terror... producing sparks. At the same time, the lights in the bathroom started flickering, making the flying sparks my only form of light. Frightened out of my mind I dropped my phone, watching my hands in horror.

I couldn't control it, and all my desperate, raw fear seemed to fuel the sparks frenzied nature. I glanced up at the mirror and saw a shaking pale version of myself. The girl in the mirror frantically tried to contain the sparks by holding her hands together, but that only made things worse.

My hands began burning and I dropped my gaze from the mirror to look at them. Something bright was forming inside my hands that I couldn't hold any longer. Slowly my hands were being pushed apart and the light grew. Reflexively, I squinted my eyes at the intense blue light, but as my hands revealed the bright formation, I opened my eyes in horrified amazement.

There, in my hands, I held a tangled clump of fizzling electricity. And it was growing by the second. Without another thought, I threw the crackling electric ball at the mirror, resulting in a loud smash as the glass shattered. Slowly I looked around at the wreckage, taking in the broken fragments of glass now littering the floor and the remains of the wooden frame on the wall which had caught on fire, before hurrying over to the sink.

By the firelight, my hands appeared fine, but only moments earlier they felt burnt and scarred. Timidly, I held them closer to the fire, this time identifying small burns on my skin. I quickly turned on the faucet and prepared to place my hands under the soothing cold water. But as I dipped my hands into the cool stream, I was forced to muffle a scream in my throat, as sparks flew and electrocuted the fingers that had managed to get wet. I pulled away from the water fearfully, then turned and ran out of the bathroom.

As I made it into the hallway, I quickly realized I was not alone, noting that the hallways were steadily filling up as students and teachers spilled out of their currently pitch-black classrooms. I inched away from the boy's bathroom, pretending to get a drink of water, while attempting to control my nerves. A girl I knew from sixth grade algebra was squeezing into the hallway near me, periodically combing her hair behind her ears with her fingers.

"Kimberly" I poked her in the shoulder to get her attention and she turned, peeved at first but upon realizing who wanted her attention, a tad excited.

"Sammy! Wow, it feels like we haven't talked since sixth grade! What's up?"

"Why's everyone leaving their classroom?" Her over-animated spirit faltered when she realized I wasn't in a social mood.

"What do you mean? Because the power went out, obviously. Didn't that happen in your classroom too? We're you late or something?" She glanced down at my backpack-less hands, proving her own theory wrong.

I cut off whatever she was about to say next. "No, I was just going to the bathroom."

"Oh, did the lights not go off in there?" For some reason, Kimberly was determined to follow this mystery to the end.

"Uh yea, I just thought it only happened in there though…" I trailed off, my attention now away from our pointless conversation. I had just noticed someone was staring at me. As discretely as I could, I stopped our conversation short and said goodbye, worming my way through the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder and caught the eyes of Zippo Boy, who was staring at me with a bemused look on his face - quickly glancing at the boy's bathroom and back at me. I flushed red, turning away from his gaze and hurrying down the corridor back to my class.

_**A/N: There you have it, Samantha has the power to manipulate electricity! Controlling it, however, will take more effort to learn.**_

_**Oh, also, each chapter I'm beginning with a quote from a related song, which can help set the tone for the writing. (It's also incredibly fun to compose playlists!)**_

_**Next chapter: Lullaby, Sydney Wayser**_

_**Thanks for reading! Hope you continue! If you'd like to, leave comment!**_

_**UPDATE: Hi there! So I've been away from this story for quite some time (I'm now out of high school and in my second year of college), but it does NOT mean I've forgotten about it. On the contrary, most of the story is already written, I just need to bring it all together! If you've re-read, I tweaked the beginning –– mainly for grammar and writing –– but I will be continuing this story soon. It was my high school sweetheart and deserved to see the light of day! Hope people still read Heroes fanfiction ;)**_


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